Research Travels

Some stories are fabricated and fanciful. Others are grounded in reality. Below are some snapshots of the Christopher Lentz on the road to walk in the footsteps of his characters and gain a rich appreciation for their back stories.

In the summer of 2015, I climbed the Great Wall and soaked in all of the Chinese culture and history I could.

These mahjong tiles are similar to the ones Grand Ma Maw played with, along with her three best lady friends, during their on-demand gossip sessions.

I met a schoolgirl named “Little Sunflower” in Yueyang, China. She made a fan for me and I made her a character in my debut novel, Blossom.

In the winter of 2013, it was eerie to stand at the intersection of Clay and Dupont (now known as Grant Avenue) streets in San Francisco’s Chinatown. This is where Blossom and Brock meet before their first afternoon together up at Twin Peaks.

Here’s a vintage photo of the Tie Yick General Store at the intersection of Clay and Dupont.

In the summer of 2000, I made sure that my kidnapped trip to San Francisco would not be complete without a ride on the cable cars…